The fabled Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan was home to Mark Twain, Virgil Thomson and Brendan Behan. Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey, there. Jack Kerouac worked on On the Road. Bob Dylan wrote "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." Artists Larry Rivers and Mark Rothko, and scores of painters and photographers also spent creative time there. But now the future of the hotel is up in the air.

You come back to Chelsea like you go to your mother when something is wrong.

- Nicola L., Performance Artist

Multimedia and performance artist Nicola L. has been at the Chelsea some 30 years. She came, she returned to France, she rented another New York apartment, and then she returned. "You come back to Chelsea like you go to your mother when something is wrong," she says.

But the building has been sold. Once filled with art by residents, the walls and stairwells are mostly bare now. Only the long-term residents remain. The staff — some of whom had been there for decades — have been let go. When the staff left, says Nicola L., "the bellman, the people at the desk — it was like we didn't have family anymore and we were in an empty boat. "

The Chelsea Hotel is unlike any other in New York. It's split between rental apartments, and tiny hotel rooms where people could stay for a night. Ed Hamilton, author of Legends of the Chelsea Hotel, has lived there for 16 years. The first apartment he had cost him $500 a month.http://www.npr.org/2011/10/03/140294070/at-nycs-chelsea-hotel-the-end-of-an-artistic-era

The dog days are winding to a close -- do you know where your summer went? Did you do everything you daydreamed of this past winter? If not, you may be experiencing Last Minute Seasonal Regret, or LMSR. Until Pfizer gets FDA approval for its line of pharmaceuticals to treat the dreaded disorder, may we suggest a gourmet summer picnic?

Now provided as a trendy new amenity at a number of chic hotels, travelers can experience summer's crescendo in catered comfort in cities all over the world, such as Sofitel's "Chic Picnic" at the hotel's Paris Arc de Triomphe property. Here, guests may choose to dine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower or in one of Paris's famous gardens.

Are you shunning haughty France this year and heading for London, instead? As a guest of Dukes London, you can take advantage of their Picnic in the Park deal where four people eat a meal, which includes salad, sandwich, water and coffee or tea, and dessert, at the city's serene Green Park. Or, if you happen to be in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, check out The Balmoral. This stately hotel's Michelin-starred chef has created "Posh Picnics," with three dining options and a concierge on hand to show you the way towards some of the city's coziest picnic spots.

Stateside, there are lots of gourmet hotel picnics to choose from, as well, like Healdsburg Hotels in California's wine country. On Tuesdays only, this package offers a flat rate for a room, picnic with chairs, blanket, and wine at the town's Tuesdays in the Plaza concert series, as well as breakfast and valet parking. Just a redeye flight away is Boston's Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro. By calling an hour ahead, this hotel's famous eatery will pack your lunch to-go for its Picnic in the Park just steps away at the city's landmark Public Garden.

As the days get shorter and the nights chillier, try to knock this summer activity off your to-do list before it is too late. And since these are just a few of the many options for hotel-styled luxury picnics, with others from Maine to Antigua, there is sure to be a luxury picnic offered near you this summer.

In announcements in the U.S. and China coinciding with a Friday groundbreaking, Las Vegas-based Caesars, the world's largest casino company, said its debut property in the Asia-Pacific region would introduce it to a fast-growing market.

"The `Aha!' moment for me was the level of demand that exists in rapidly developing countries for high-end hotels like this," CEO Gary Loveman said in an interview with The Associated Press. "This is the first step in the development of our Caesars brand in China and India."

Loveman compared the island, with China's only west-facing shoreline, to Hawaii and said he hopes to attract Chinese visitors to become members of Caesars loyalty programs.

"Gaming is only legal in a small number of places in the world," he said. "This brings the Caesars brand to places where gambling is not permitted but where the brand is held in high regard."

The $470 million (3 billion Chinese yuan) resort is the first major venture for Caesars Global Life, a non-casino division that privately held Caesars created in May to license, franchise and manage hotels outside the U.S.

Loveman said his goal is to develop 25 hotels and resorts in China over the next five years.

Caesars Palace Longmu Bay is designed by Australia-based PTW Architects. It is a partnership between Caesars and with Guoxin Longmu Bay Investment Holding Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of the Chinese investment and development company Jiangsu Guoxin Investment Group Limited.

Plans call for two entertainment venues offering high-profile shows, a 36-hole championship golf course, a marina, spa, shopping and restaurants. The resort is to open in 2014.

There are other hotels on the island, but Loveman said he saw demand for a number of competing brands. MGM Resorts International plans to open a resort dubbed MGM Grand Sanya on Hainan Island later this year.

Jiang Xushen, vice president of Jiangsu Guoxin Investment Group Limited and chairman of Guoxin (Hainan) Longmu Bay Investment Company Limited, said the goal is to develop a landmark for world tourism on a China sunset beach.

"Caesars Entertainment brings extensive experience in worldwide tourism, entertainment, hospitality and management," Xushen said in the company statement.

Cornell Introduces Hotel Competitor Analysis Decision-Support ToolThis tool helps hotel managers make strategic comparisons among competitor hotels on critical success factors. It is also free for use at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/tools/tooldetails-15799.html. Enz is a professor of strategy and the Louis G. Schaeneman, Jr. Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management at the School of Hotel Administration, where Thompson is a professor of operations management. Enz and Thompson developed the H-CAT to allow hotel executive teams (and managers at other levels) to determine where a particular hotel stands against its direct competitors. “This analysis allows managers to identify each hotel’s success factors and then rate the hotel against its competitors,” Enz said. “We formatted the worksheets both to make summaries of a hotel’s strategic position against its competitors, and also to compare specific aspects of the hotel, such as rooms inventory, F&B outlets, and any other revenue center, including a spa. Once managers have this information they can set their strategic plans accordingly.”

About The Center for Hospitality ResearchA unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center's 78 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. To learn more about the center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.from http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article58015.html

Russian Firm Introduces a Mini-Hotel for Weary Air TravelersMost anyone who's traveled for the holidays has been there before: exhausted, burdened by luggage, and irritated because your flight's just been delayed. A tired person stuck for hours in an airport used to roll up her sweater like a pillow and find a corner for a few minutes of very uncomfortable shuteye. But now a Russian creation has arrived to rival St. Christopher as the saving grace of travelers. Designed by Russian architecture firm Arch Group, the Sleepbox is almost exactly what it sounds like: a seven-feet-deep, nine-feet-high pod made for people on the go to sleep in. Beds (a maximum of three), bedside tables, electrical outlets, and reading lamps come standard in the Sleepboxes, but they can also be outfitted to include WiFi, televisions, and an alarm clock. In all, they're cozy little temporary homes to use until you reach your real home.

The first Sleepbox is now up and running in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and the Arch Group hopes more are on the way. If they come to America, the designers recommend charging $15 an hour to rent them. That's a lot cheaper than the cost of chiropractic care following a couple hours snoozing on the tile at O'Hare.

Finding the right hotel can make or break your vacation, so with this in mind, we’re introducing Hotel Finder, a new experimental search tool specifically designed to help you find that perfect hotel. Google Hotel Finder makes it easy to narrow down the options:

Figure out where to stay: To help you figure out where the action is, Hotel Finder shines a "tourist spotlight" on the most visited areas of U.S. cities. We select an initial shape for you based on what’s most popular or you can draw a shape around the area where you want to stay, e.g. on the ocean or along Sunset Boulevard.

Located in Chelsea's art gallery district, a few blocks from the High Line, the just opened Hotel Americano (a parking garage in a former life) has been transformed by Mexico City-based architect Enrique Norton into a ten-story hotel for Mexico-based Groupo Habita. Paris-based interior designer Arnaud Montigny (of the famed Colette store in Paris) orchestrated the interiors, which feature a muted palette and a streamlined vibe. Montigny, who has worked extensively in Japan, incorporated Eastern influences throughout the rooms and the dining areas: table linens from Fog Linen, washcloths from Imabari, and room service bento boxes. For urban cyclists, New York-made Bowery Lane bicycles are on offer. For more information, go to Hotel Americano.Author

LocationLe Meridien Angkor Hotel, which is located close to Angkor Wat, offers a chance for visitors to discover an adventure on ancient Cambodia site. One among many countries, Cambodia is a country which has talent in dance, art and Music. The holiday with great relaxation along with comfortable accommodation and convenient services has been provided to the guest by the Le Meridien Angkor. Its location is not quite far from the Angkor area complex, which is convenient for guests who prefer sunset or sunrise tours. The distance of it is just 15 kilometers from the international airport. Thus, the accessible for downtown sights and scenes are excellent. You can come and enjoy your brilliant holiday at Siem Reap by staying at Le Meridein Angkor which is situated at Vithei Charles de Gaulle, khum Svay Dang Kum, Siem Reap , Cambodia .http://www.kabar-irian.com/le-meridien-angkor-hotel-reviews-siem-reap-cambodia/8127/

Our Buckinghamshire Hotel near Windsor, built in 1727, is a four star hotel ideally located in 10 acres of beautiful gardens and manicured lawns in the peaceful setting of Burnham Beeches yet only minutes from the M4/M40 and Burnham railway station, which has a direct line to central London. The hotel has undergone a multi million pound facelift which included refurbishment to all bedrooms and the installation of wireless internet access throughout the hotel.

The Burnham Beeches Hotel, Buckinghamshire is a popular choice as a wedding reception venue or for other such events including Christmas parties, meetings or conferences. Choose the Burnham Beeches Hotel as your wedding reception venue and save up to 20% on your wedding. Our Buckinghamshire Hotel operates special events throughout the year including themed nights and has two suites licensed for civil ceremonies. With a dedicated event planning team on hand from your initial enquiry through to the day of your event it’s sure to be an event to remember.